The performance of off-road vehicles such as combines, tractors and excavator has been greatly advanced through the use of electronic controls for the vehicle functions, improved operator feedback, and improved operator instrumentation. For example, microprocessor based electronic controls are used for hitch positioning, engine control, slip control, combine rotor control, combine feed control, excavator bucket control and backhoe control to list a few. This type of control has improved the performance of equipment which in the past has been primarily mechanically controlled. However, as a result, operators now have more operation variables to be aware of and control.
To improve the operator's ability to monitor vehicle parameters and variables such as hitch position, engine speed, slip rate, rotor speed, feed rates, vehicle speed, vehicle position (e.g. global position), bucket orientation, seed rates, etc., electronic displays are being used to provide information to the operator. These displays typically have a stationary position within the operator cab. Additionally, to improve operator control, instrumentation for control is typically located upon an armrest of the operators chair of the seat. This arrangement permits the operator to provide the majority of controlled vehicle parameters with a single hand so that the operator's other hand is free to operate the vehicle steering system.
One of the problems with the present positioning and mounting of electronic displays is that they are stationary and not readily viewable by the operator when the operator swivels or pivots his or her chair to observe operations of the vehicle in a direction other than the forward direction of the vehicle. For example, when operating the equipment associated with a tractor or combine, the operator will frequently swivel his or her chair to view the operation of the equipment from the rear or side of the vehicle. Depending upon the vehicle this same type of problem may exist for instrumentation which is stationary and not readily accessible by the operator when the operator swivels his chair to observe operations of the vehicle in a direction other than the forward direction of the vehicle.
Another problem associated with the present positioning and mounting of electronic displays is that because the electronic displays are stationary, movement of the operator's chair to conform to the particular operator's positioning preferences as well as to respond to shock and vibrations constantly changes the operator's line of site to the electronic display. As a result, it is difficult for the operator to steadily focus on the visual information provided by the electronic display. In addition, the constant relative movement between the electronic display and the operator's chair also constantly changes the distance between the operator and the particular controls on the electronic display. The constantly changing distance between the operator and the electronic display reduce the operator's ability to quickly and accurately control and manipulate controls of the electronic display.
As a result of the conventional, stationary mounting arrangements for displays and instrumentation, operators may be required to pivot back and forth to observe an operation while also taking into account displayed information and/or operating the associated instrumentation. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide the operator with an improved operator station which permits operator movement within the station so that the operator maintains a relatively direct line of sight to the display and access to instrumentation and controls during movement.